Bring The Out-Of-Towners To This New Asian Street Food-Inspired Restaurant

We can all agree the food truck trend is getting a little stale these days. But a restaurant that serves street food-inspired dishes, and it has walls, tables, and chairs? That sounds like it’s more up our alley. Introducing Lantao Kitchen + Cocktails, the Surfcomber South Beach’s new, sophisticated indoor eatery with a Southeast Asian cuisine flair that’s pretty on par with the food made on Hong Kong’s largest island, Lantao. Helmed by Executive Chef Freddy Ortiz (formerly of China Grill and Asia de Cuba), the dishes are served family-size and the menu is separated into four categories: Gansig (snacks), Shala (salads), Bo ling (bowls), and Zhuban (main plates).

So what does this all really mean? Expect to taste lots of lemongrass, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, coconut milk, chili, and curry. Go for the Banh Mi Miami Style (beef, pork belly, pickled vegetables, cilantro, and spicy mayo on a baguette), the Green Papaya and Pork Belly Salad (jicama, celery root, daikon, carrots, chayote, mint, and Thai basil) or the Madurese Street Noodles in Spicy Coconut Broth (chicken, shrimp, mushrooms, water chestnuts, and crispy shallots). Oh, and almost all the dishes are under $20. Hey, that’s as low as they can go. They have to pay for the walls, tables, and chairs, remember?

When: Monday-Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., 5 p.m.-11 p.m.
Where: 1717 Collins Avenue; 305-604-1800.